Employment
decade as a result of the concerted efforts of employers, employees, contractors, safety practitioners and the government.
In 2014, there were 37,523 occupational injuries, a drop of 15.2 per cent from the 44,267 cases a decade ago. Over the same period, the number of industrial accidents fell from 16,917 to 11,677 a decrease of 31 per cent. In 2014, a total of 243 cases of occupational diseases were confirmed.
Inspection and Enforcement
The Labour Department inspects workplaces regularly to ensure compliance with occupational safety and health laws, particularly in high-risk industries and organisations with poor safety records. The department also conducts special enforcement operations targeting accident- prone workplaces and trades, such as new works construction sites, repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works sites, waste treatment workplaces, logistics, cargo and container handling workplaces, and food and beverages services activities. Enforcement was stepped up in the summer to protect outdoor workers from heat strokes.
In 2014, the department served 2,031. Improvement Notices on companies and organisations, ordering them to improve safety conditions in their workplaces promptly, and 980 Suspension Notices to stop those work activities or the use of plant or substances that posed imminent risks of death or serious bodily injury to employees. The courts heard 2,437 cases, convicting the defendants in 80.3 per cent of these and handing down penalties totalling $20.12 million.
Promotion and Education
The Labour Department, in collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC), major trade associations and the labour unions concerned, organised promotional campaigns to enhance the occupational safety and health awareness of employers and employees in different industries through seminars, roving exhibitions, out-reaching promotional visits, and television and radio broadcasts. The department held a Repair, Maintenance, Alteration and Addition Work Safety Conference and thematic work safety seminars to enhance relevant occupational safety standards. It continued to promote the Occupational Safety Charter and Workplace Hygiene Charter which urge employers and employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment at their workplaces, and organised safety award schemes for the construction and catering industries.
In 2014, the Labour Department held over 2,047 courses, lectures and health talks for some 73,930 employees to help them better understand occupational safety and health and the relevant laws. The department continued to collaborate with relevant organisations, such as the OSHC, the Construction Industry Council, employers' associations and workers' unions, to promote healthy living for professional drivers and to publicise heat stroke prevention measures in construction sites and other outdoor workplaces.
Occupational Health Clinics
The Labour Department provides occupational health services to workers at its occupational health clinics in Kwun Tong and Fanling, and 10,396 clinical consultations with workers were held in 2014.
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